Athletes
Mayra Bueno Silva: The Arrival Of Sheetara
Bantamweight Talks Intense Preparation For First Main Event, Biggest Challenge To Date In Holly Holm
Throughout her relatively short career in combat sports (she had her first pro MMA fight in 2015), there has always been a quick-learner, ahead-of-the-curve energy to Mayra Bueno Silva’s story. For those not paying close attention, it might seem like her first main event this Saturday in Las Vegas arrived out of the blue. For the rest of us, it’s right on schedule.
In just her fourth MMA bout, she won the bantamweight title in the Brazilian promotion Batalha MMA. In her fifth, she was winning a UFC contract on the 2018 iteration of Dana White’s Contender Series. In her sixth, she successfully submitted the fighter who holds the women’s UFC record for submissions: Gillian Robertson.
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The speedbumps so far have been minimal. She dropped decisions to Maryna Moroz and Manon Fiorot, the latter of whom is closing in on a flyweight title shot. Scorecards suggest a fence grab against Montana De La Rosa cost her a win instead of the resulting draw. But, to date, her 10-2-1 record tells the story of a relentless and chronically underestimated force who has never been finished.
A step-up in competition was warranted after an impressive three-fight run that toppled Wu Yanan, Stephanie Egger and, most recently, Lina Lansberg. Originally slated to meet Miesha Tate before Tate was injured, Bueno Silva will now find herself sharing the Octagon with another former bantamweight champion: Holly Holm.
She admits she was disappointed by missing the opportunity to test her skills against a fellow grappler and former champion in Tate but was thrilled for the possibility to jump up and take Holm’s coveted No. 3 ranking.
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“It was a gift from God. I'm very happy. I’m very grateful to God for this opportunity to face another former champion and a fighter of her caliber.”
She understands being in striking distance of a title shot doesn’t happen every day and, to that end, she’s been putting in the work to prepare for Holm.
Mayra Bueno Silva | The Ties That Bind
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Mayra Bueno Silva | The Ties That Bind
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“We had a hard time finding a sparring partner to emulate Holly Holm. But today I'm in the biggest gym in the world, American Top Team. They have the best coaches in the world. And Anderson Franca volunteered to be my Holly Holm, so my own coach emulated her.”
The high-level education was warranted for such a high-level opponent.
“I think Holly is definitely the toughest fight of my career. And I also think she’s the toughest fight in this division due to her unorthodox game. She’s unpredictable. But I don’t think she’ll want to strike. I believe she’ll try to do what she’s been doing. Her grappling has improved a lot, so I think that will be her game plan. She’ll try to do some fence work, that type of boring game. But we’re talking about Holly. She can surprise you at any moment. And I must tell you, if there’s anyone that can stop me, that’s Holly Holm. But she won’t stop me.”
She’s also had some support this camp from her friend, compatriot and new UFC flyweight champion: Alexandre Pantoja. She arrived in Vegas early to acclimate to the desert and was present to see him hoist the strap at UFC 290, which furthered her inspiration.
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“We trained together and to see him becoming champion was just amazing. This is a guy that works really hard, a family man. Pantoja is a great champion and I see a lot of myself in him. It gave me that extra push for this fight on Saturday.”
Mayra Bueno Silva Wants To Inspire People | UFC Fight Night: Holm vs Bueno Silva
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Mayra Bueno Silva Wants To Inspire People | UFC Fight Night: Holm vs Bueno Silva
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So deep is her determination to stop “The Preacher’s Daughter” on Saturday that Holm has taken up real estate in the smallest details of Bueno Silva’s life outside the gym, including changing the home screen on her cell phone to a photo of Holm. She says it keeps her mind on the task ahead.
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“I look and see how special this moment is for me. How much I’ve trained and worked hard to be here today. We’re also talking about Holly Holm, so I work on my mental game so I can think, ‘Ok, this is Holly, but I’m Sheetara.’”
UFC Fight Night: Holm vs Bueno Silva took place live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 15, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
